You've heard about the pub with no beer? Meet the brewery that ran dry. Angkor Draft

became Angkor Drought this week when Malaysian-owned Cambrew closed its Sihanoukville

brewery for routine cleaning and repairs, but seemingly forgot to calculate stock

levels.

The result: a shortage at the national brewer, vendor of half the country's pints

of draft lager. A spokesman said the situation was now in hand: the company's trucks

were barrelling around the country delivering the well-known brew less than two days

after being caught short.

A lack of beverage was not the only problem: the spokesman admitted a shortage of

carbon dioxide cylinders meant there was no fizz for those pubs lucky enough to have

a keg, leaving both beer and management feeling a little flat.

Cambrew tried to play down the incident that left thirsty punters in despair, but

admitted company reps had spent the week placating irate bar owners. A barrage of

complaints sent the brewer steaming back into production, but even then not everyone

was satisfied: at least one bar owner was forced to return barrels of under-fermented

brew. Angkor Draft, queried thirsty drinkers? Angkor Flat, more like.